The present invention is directed to apparatus for generating a plurality of moving objects on a video display screen utilizing associative memory.
In a video game, motion circuitry may typically include horizontal and vertical counters for each object. This may be necessary where the movement of each game object is relatively complex. Such circuitry is shown in Bushnell U.S. Pat. No. 3,793,483. On the other hand, rather than specifically using counters, random access memories in conjunction with a microprocessor unit may be effectively used as counters by updating the horizontal and vertical positions of each object during vertical blanking. Such a system is shown in a copending application in the name of Mayer and Milner entitled "Method for Generating A Plurality of Moving Objects on a Video Display Screen", U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,444, issued Sept. 26, 1978, and assigned to the present assignee.
Where, however, the architecture of game includes motion that is restricted to one axis, for example, a ship or submarine moving across the screen along the horizontal it is not necessary to use the above circuitry.